The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1887-10-09
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civilized countrfoef In tho matter OF roads. Every
American who has travelled abroad, and par
ticularly In Europe comes back homo filled
with regrets that tho splendid macadam high
ways OF England and Continental Europe have
no counterpart In this country. am not one
who thinks this state Of affairs calls for un-
qualified reproach. for many natural causes
combine against good roads in the United
Statss. First and foremost, no doubt, como
the railroads, which in many parts OF the
country preceded wagon road improvement
entirely. The tremendous extent Of tcrri-
tory, the comparative sparseness OF popula-
ton. tho absence OF suitable material over
large areas Of rich agricultural States. and tho
lack OF military necessity, may be mentioned
among the reasons for inferior roads here.
1t Is not the purpose Of this sketch. however,
to dwell upon tho hacknerod subject OF roads
md thoir inferior condition in America, but
rather to take peep at the roads OF other
countries and the methods employed in their
improvement. The most critical judges Of
roads are undoubtedly the men who traverse
them on bicycles Ahorseman or pedestrian
can stop over holes, wade through sand or
mud. and pick his way through loose or pro-
truding stones without undue annoyance. The
wheelman. however. guiding his sensitive
steel steed ID affected from first to last by the
condition OF the ground beneath him. 1t
might seem good deal like presumption on
my part to assert that am in position to
pronounce upon the comparative merits OF tho
worlds roadways better than any man living:
but no reader who has ever ridden q bicycle
would doubt the assertion. Having made
trail around the land portion OF the earth's
surface with a bicycle. can now take an
ordinary map Of the world and trace out from
beginning to end Of that great circle, where
the road Is good. where 1t is bad or Indifferent.
and whore It ia execrable.
IT; The best r9ads IN the the world. many readers
Punjab. Dude and Bengal. am fairly at a loss
rSson a q The enterPrse that hss beeea ndis
With such magniiicelt highways as l found
bsre Tae n indie s or
miles, an unbroken highway. Of marvellous
perfection, from Peshawur on the Afghan from
length with substance peculiar to the coun:
try known as kunkah. Kunkah Is obtained
SGTss ky ssTas sS ths q ass
may BE- readily converted Into lime BY burning
together and forms q road surface smooth and
compact az an asphaltnm pavement, and Of
esSssp & ha be beds
born Of some favorable condition Of the soil.
leveIled and allowed to remain Untouched. al.
ter q few years the same land again yields 9
snes bs ksnas IL Rnsesss d 4sp hs Gs
sseiy BY the Tie roadside. At certain Seasons Of
collect big gangs Of men and women and pro:
coed to repair such portions q the road as need
the The BOTTOM are
and reallsd with new kuntsh as neatly;
as though # were section Of concrete pave
carry the EunEah on their heads Il IL ' Wooden
trays from the nearby pit to the road, the
he wsse
it down with iron hampers. In renewing whole
ranged three and four deep and stretch clear
ssp at dawn In 5
made stretch several times. leaving 1t OF last
solid enough to run steam engine over. In
imported from England are used. and some
times the rollers without the bullocks, big
the BsR Rg s bessn Of m 5as 4oa.
that they could induce The men employed to
ryot would say. No. Sahib. we viii make the
roads for you and welcome, but we will never
ee 81 sa 9s the stae TIT
would be violation Of the caste preiudcss 9t
the Government had to depend on to make the
roads were independent ryots or small farm
sist By siliinG the soil for share Of the prod
thing, outside their established Profession
The only way the Government could recon-
pense them was to make them presents from
poed eSsn ' in G " SC hd
Among the AslatIes themselves, the Japs
making metheds q Western G nations. The Jsps
nation that had real good artificial highway.
the RSh krgsyss ThG Travelled
the excellent condition Of the Tokaido ct that
we're Stretches and pS
tSs saR ess saw no
Japan is a pretty mountainous country. and
the roads are maintaiped at gSo S deal Of
With 500
them excellent the whole distance, although
som billy In places; At one point found
tunnel several hundred yards long. and At an:
passed
whole World round that had been made entire.
y for the ordinary roadway: In the longest
sene lamps and releetors: and at TIE en-.
s that cast ESsam q light into !. from
Japan, except few carriages about Toxic
and the treaty ports. are tarikishas. o.
into Japan BY an American missionary about
not less than 100000 are in use throughout the
country; The wheels OF the jinrikisha are
usually about ten feet. At one point, over the
miles OF the road with matched boulders. At
first this was probably as smooth as ordinary
Belgian block. but time and travel have In the
course of several centuries made 1t rough; The
only piece OF real neglected road found was
from Kobe to Ozakn, about twenty miles, This
is significant from the fact that railway has for
several years been In operation between these
two cities. 1t would seem to indicate that the
OF the iron road bodies Ill for the
proper maintenance of the ordinary roadways
OF the country. The Japs make their roads out
Of broken stone. gravel from the beds OF the
rivers and the sea beach, and from disintegrant
granite from the m9untains. The Tokaido
have seen swarms OF road men
up the mountain sides. looseninG and starting
down banks Of this broken granite. while other
swarms waited below to carry IL to the road In
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